Hi guys,
I have an idea for an App and wanted to run it by you guys at TheRodinhoods to get your thoughts and inputs. Your advice would be greatly appreciated – and please give me your true opinion, whether you think this App is totally crap or whether you think it’s a game changer.
Elevator pitch:
The “Get It” app (working name) will help gym members get easier access to the services and classes offered at gyms & sports clubs.
2 minute pitch:
Gyms are crowded usually in the mornings and the evenings. Those are the times when most of the machines, classes, massage tables are occupied and members have to physically stand in line or write their name on a white board and wait for their number to come about or take a token to ensure their spot in a class. The Get It app will use location tracking and allow members to book their place once they are in the premises without having to wait for a token or hover around a machine.
Birth of the idea:
I’m a member of the national sports club of India (NSCI) in Mumbai. The gym there runs a spinning class in the morning. One day I was working out at the gym and a friend of mine, who was there for the spinning class, was complaining about how there are more people coming for the class than the number of cycles and so many have to turn back without doing the class.
They were using a system where the instructor handed a token on a first come first service basis – but that was not running successfully as people that arrived before the instructor did not benefit and also class goers were taking tokens for their friends who were arriving late.
This led to the birth of the idea for the Get It app in my mind. The thought was how to use technology to solve this issue.
And I believe this solution can be used in other areas also – to book a treadmill at the gym, a massage session, to book the courts to play tennis/squash/badminton etc.
How it will work:
Members of the sports club download the app and sign in. They can use the same app across multiple gyms & sports clubs that sign up with us (So Arjun who is a member at Golds Gym at Nepeansea road and NSCI can access services at both club using the same profile – The club has to give him a kind of OTP which allows him to log into their services on the app).
The sports club (lets assume NSCI) also downloads a “Service provider” version of the app which allows them to grant permission, monitor data, etc on the app.
When Arjun reaches NSCI at 6.30 am he logs into the App and using the location tracking option (or using the Wi-Fi of NSCI – to prove that he is at the location) he signs up for the spinning class, which starts at 7 am. He also sees that the treadmill is free so blocks a treadmill for himself from 6.40 am to 7 am. All this before he has even changed into his gym shoes.
NSCI can set different rules for how the services can be blocked by their members.
Neerja is hard at work at the office and wants to get a relaxing massage at the end of the day. She opens the App and sees that there is a slot open at 5.30 that evening and she blocks the same for herself.
This can also be used as a scheduler – so training sessions with personal trainers/coaches, etc or meetings with nutritionists can also be lined up using this.
Also, on the business side – clubs like NSCI can keep a tab on the usage of their equipment in real time, remotely. Plus, the app will collect data on the fitness habits of the members which can be used by the company. Plus we can tie up with other fitness apps to share information (or something on those lines).
Note: – What happens in the case that an NSCI member wants to use the treadmill if it is free but he isn’t on Get It? we can have him block the treadmill on the NSCI computer which will be located at the gym.
Need your help with:
A) What do you think of this idea? Would this work? Is it too niche an idea?
B) Is there a way to simplify this further?
C) I’m not a Tech guy, so my knowledge of the nuts and bolts of technology is very poor – so please guide me if there are some technologies that exist that can make this App work even better.
D) Are there any apps out there that are already providing this kind of service?
Thanks in advance for your valuable comments and suggestions.
cheers,
Sumiit
No more of this waiting:
asha chaudhry
hey interesting idea – sumiit!
let’s see what the geeks and gymlog have to say about this!!
Adnan Baliwala
Sounds interesting. You may want to try out the BLE technology as well to help you more if you intend to play with the precise proximity of the users around the equipment for better validating the user, Here: Estimote beacons
I played a few days ago with this beacon to build an app that reminds me of wearing the seat belt once i am on the drivers seat and to check stuff when i exit the car by playing with the bluetooth proximity ranges between my phone and the beacon.
Prajyot Mainkar
Interesting Idea Sumiit. Fitness apps are really need of the hour and glad you are thinking in the same space. Take a look at the image here (https://i.imgsafe.org/dfb7d78.png) , Google has been showing the stats of crowded hours of the hotel. From the feature point, one thing i would like to suggest is, to work on health tips and suggestions based on Diet Plans. If you limit the app to just scheduling and planning, it won’t be sufficient. Purpose of “Why and who will use the app” is important. You might want to add features which allows users to have analytic report of what’s been the progress on health, capture and suggest tips based on that, health tips ( in the morning) based on app usage behavior,and stats of the user.
As a next step, i would suggest to share a sketch/prototype which you can share with TRH members for comments.
It’s a good idea to start with 🙂 All the best
asha chaudhry
hey prajyot – nice feedback and suggestions!!
sumiit – prajyot is a rock solid rodinhooder. he is a pure giver – he even has an ASK PAGE so you can keep reaching out to him!
https://www.therodinhoods.com/forum/topics/ask-prajyot-about-mobile-app-analytics-performance
Sumiit Lakhutia
Thanks Adnan, I checked out their website, very interesting stuff. Will incorporate it.
Thanks Prajyot, I had thought on those lines -about providing health stats/progress to the user but I thought maybe it would be too much information gathering, but I see how a user would want all the info in one app rather than across multiple apps.
One more thing, I’m not a tech person- I don’t know how to code. In that scenario what’s your suggestion on how I can go ahead to make the prototype/sketch? Thanks again for your help 🙂
Thanks Asha for all your help and for running TRH 🙂 when is TRH getting its own app? 🙂
Adnan Baliwala
Sumiit, these are softwares where you can create mock up or prototype for your app. Its all drag drop controls you have to use with minimal or no coding knowledge.
JustInMind
InvisionApp
Prajyot Mainkar
@Sumiit: Besides the links mentioned by @Adnan, you can also check https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.woomoo.pop app that allows you to create simple mobile Prototypes.
Sumiit Lakhutia
Thanks guys for all your help. I’ll get to work on this right away 🙂
Vinod Kumar Agarwal
Hi Sumiit,
Waiting (App) is an experience each one goes through all the time specially in a Metro City. I have my experience waiting for the Dentist with a hand on my cheek. We wait at the Airport to receive our loved ones all the time and mothers (and family members) waiting outside schools for their darling kid to show out.
In a leisure activity in my make believe opinion some of us do like to wait some times to show our gears and sometimes to make friends and showshaa…
Your idea of caring about people is definitely a sign of a good hospitable individual. You can use this rare ability (quality) in more ways as you discover.
Commerce is very important at therodinhoods. A web based application for the Sports Service Provider like the Box Office ticket booking (bookmyshow) time slot need to be developed linked to the mobile/Web Apps.
I am sure it will work out if the service provider benefits from better occupancy. If the service is monthly or annual subscription you will have to work out your cut from whom and how?
For development lot of IT guys/gals offer freelance services online that can make your work easy and cheap.
No more Gyaan only Best wishes and Good Luck.
Deeti Dave
A li’l different suggestion on this app: similar product can also be useful for crowded restaurants where there is a long waitlist for a table of two. In the US, they used to give you buzzer upon requesting an entry in the waitlist, so that when your turn comes, your buzzer go vibrating ZZZZ and will light up with all disco lights, you can do something similar with your app, your mobile can start vibrating with some ringtone being played to indicate the guests that their wait is over for the table at the restaurant. the biggest challenge i see here is to get the guest download your app, and the revenue model around this. I would check out fb messenger bot if that can be used instead of my app for this. (disclaimer: I have not yet researched on fb messenger bot yet, my logic says, it should be possible)
Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal
Haven’t a couple of startups been funded for “Uberisation of Gyms”
I met one of the most bright people from IITs who were doing so almost 1 year back?
Sumiit Lakhutia
Hi Vinod, Deeti & Alok,
thank you for your inputs.
Yes alok, a couple of startups do allow users to access a gym on a day to day basis or use the gym only for a specific class.
The idea behind my app is predominantly about booking a space by being physically present – which i think might be too niche.
so will take into consideration everyone’s suggestions to see how to maybe expand the reach of the app.
thanks 🙂